Army Headquarters has downgraded its delegation for today’s meeting with the LTTE in response to their decision to withdraw ‘Colonel’ Bhanu in charge of the Ampara-Batticaloa region, from the discussions.
Brigadier Vajira Wijegoone-wardene, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 23 Division headquartered at Welikanda will not lead the government delegation. It will be led by Colonel Laksiri Amaratunga, in charge of the Batticaloa Brigade.
Bhanu avoided the previous meeting chaired by Maj. Gen. Trond Furuhovde, head of the Norwegian-led Scandinavian truce monitoring mission (on September 22) to discuss ways of curbing the ongoing wave of violence by LTTE factions.
Thambirajah Ramesh’s successor Bhanu and Ramanan of the group’s military wing skipped the meeting. In their absence, the LTTE delegation was led by its Ampara-Batticaloa political chief Kausalyan.
This prompted the security forces delegation to call for the presence of the military wing at today’s meeting.
As Kausalyan is on the LTTE delegation engaged in a three-week long foreign tour, the LTTE would be represented by their Ampara district political wing leader Kuyilinpan.
At the previous meeting, Furuhovde assured that he would take this up with the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi.
The Island learns that at one point the army didn’t want to go ahead with the meeting as it wouldn’t serve any purpose.
The September meeting was the first since the LTTE suspended regular security talks with the army (in Batticaloa) over what the group said was a clandestine effort to weaken the group in the Ampara-Batticaloa region by taking advantage of the unprecedented crisis triggered by Karuna’s revolt.
The meeting will take place at the Vavunathivu Divisional Secretary’s office, about 5 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa town, in the no man’s land between areas controlled by the LTTE and the forces.
Meanwhile suspected LTTE gunmen on Sunday killed a 40-year-old farmer in the general LTTE-held area of Omadiyaamadu, Valaichchenai. A relative lodged a complaint with the local police in this regard, the military said.
The sit-on fast at Trincomalee, launched by next of kin of LTTE-detained Homeguards entered its 22nd day on Tuesday (5) as the number taking part in the fasting swelled.
Next of kin of those Home Guards started this fasting campaign on September 14 after the LTTE continued to refuse the release of their breadwinners who were caught while they were in the general area of Gomarankadawala on August 10 this year.
Six Indian fishing trawlers out of a fleet of about 80-90 trawlers, engaged in poaching in Sri Lankan waters off Talaimannar were arrested by naval troops with twenty Indian nationals aboard on Monday.
